Improvement in devices for retarding the recoil of springs



G.` J. A. DICK. Device for Retarding the Recoil of Springsl 510.4201021. Patented ug. 13,1878.v

NJI'ERS, FHOTU-LITHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTN. D4 C.

UnrrnnN lSTA'rEs PATENT CHARLES J. A. DICK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND THOMAS L. LUDERS, OF SAh'lE PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR RETARDING THE RECQIL 0F SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,021, dated AXugust l, 1379; application {iled l July 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. A. DICK, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Retardin g the Recoil of Springs, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to an addition to or modification of the device for retarding the recoil of springs for which an application forl Letters Patent was allowed to myself and T. L. Luders on the 25th day of June, 1878, my present invention consisting of levers or jaws caused to bear against parallel surfaces, instead of inclined surfaces, as described in the said allowed application.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a front view of the retarding device; Fig. 2, a side view of Fig.1,partly in section; andFigs. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, views illustrating modifications.

In Figs. l and 2, P represents part of the bolster, and l partof the bolster-beam of a railroad-car, the usual springs (which it has not been deemed necessaryto show in the drawing) being interposed between the two beams.

lo the luider side of the -beam P is secured a bracket, A, to which the two levers or jaws D Dl are connected byapin, m, the latter passing through vertically-nenlarged holes in the levers, the sole object of the pin. being` to maintain the levers in their proper lateral position and to connect them to the bracket, thelevers being confined vertically by the horizontal flange a of the said bracket and by a thin plate, c, on the under side of the beam, the said plate being caused to bear continuously on the levers by an clasticpad, f, or any other suita ble spring.

To each of the levers D and Dl is pivcted a shoe, h, a block, E, secured to the bolster-beam P', being embraced by and between the two shoes, which can slide freely against the opposite sides t z' of the said block.

It will be noted that the rounded portion of the short arm of the lever D bears against the lian ge a of the bracket A at the point d, the short arm of the lever D bearing on the lian ge at the point dp', while the plate e bears with a constant pressure upon the short arms of the two levers at a point, m, directly above the pin .r and midwaybctween the two points d and d. Hence, when the springs which support the bolster P recoil and the latter rises, there must be a tendency of the long arms of the levers to move toward each other, and consequently of the slices to bear against the block E with such frictional effect as to retard the recoil of the bolster-springs, and thus prevent the disagreeable shocks due to the usual 'abrupt recoil.

Then the bolster-beam is depressed, the short arms of theI levers D D are so far rclieved from pressure at/the points d and d that there will be but little friction of the shoes against the block as they slide down the opposite parallel sides i i of the same.

It is important that the reta-rding inlluence of the shoes should be instantaneous, or, in other words, that they should take effect the moment the recoil of the springs commences; hence the use of the springs a a, which maintain the shoes in contact with the block at all times, and insure instantaneous action.

Aspiral spring, p, connected to the opposite levers, and shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be used in placeof the springs a a, or the long arms of the levers may be made so elastic as to dispense with supplementary springs; or the opposite sides of the block may be made thin and elastic, as shown in Fig. 3, the levers in this ease having rigid arms.

The object of the elastic pad or spring f above the short arms of the levers is to effectually confine the same under all circumstances and to compensate for wear at this point, for any vertical play of the short arms of the levers would detractv from the desired instantaneous action of the shoes.

The long arms of the levers may bear di rectly against the block, as shown in Fig. 4; but I prefer the use ot' pivoted shoes.

The faces t' i of the block E may be corru gated, as shown in Fig. 6, or V-shaped, as seen in Fig. 7, the shoes being formed to ccrrespond with the faces of the block, and the latter may be contracted at the top, substantially as shown in Fig. 5, in cases where it is desirable to remove or diminish frictional :re tardation at the point where the` spring ap-v proaches the limit of its recoil.

It will lbe understood that when my invention has to be applied to a bolster and bolsterbeam, as shown, there must be at least two retarding devices, situated at such points as the bolster-sprin gs will permit.

The device may be combined directly either with elliptical or box springs, as described in the aforesaid application of Dick and Luders.

I claim as my invention- The combination of a bearin g-sprin g with a device for retarding the recoil7 the said device consistin g of two main 'elements-namely, parallel surfaces and levers or jaws caused to bear against the said surfaces, substantially in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

C. J. A. DICK. Y

Witnesses:

HARRY A. CRAWFORD, HARRY SMi'rH., 

